1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data input apparatus for saving inputted prescribed data in a memory medium (for example an IC card) and to a control method therefor. More specifically, the present invention relates to a data input apparatus for saving data for controlling a plurality of other machines by using the inputted data and to the control method therefor.
2. Description of the Background Art
Control of a copying machine employing an IC (Integrated Circuit) card has been proposed. According to the proposal, desired items and the levels of these items for a copying machine (items and desired values thereof such as copy paper size; A4, copying magnification; 1.2, number of copies; 13, and so on) are stored in an IC card. By loading the said IC card into the copying machine, the desired values for respective items are collectively set in the copying machine.
In the above described proposal, the input of data to be saved in the IC card (the data of the items and the desired values for the respective items) is carried out separately from the copying machine, namely, it is carried out by means of a prescribed data input apparatus independent of the copying machine.
As described above, when inputting data to an IC card, it is difficult to know what kind of data can be inputted thereto Namely, we cannot check what kind of items in what range are available for the copying machine to which the data saved in the card is loaded.
Consequently, sometimes the operating mode stored in the card (the operating mode is defined by the items and the levels designated for respective items) cannot be set in the copying machine.
For example, when a data "paper size; A3" is stored in an IC card and the copy paper having the size of B4 is the largest available paper for the copying machine to which the card is to be loaded, the size A3 paper cannot be set.